Researchers modify nanoparticles to improve their uptake in gastrointestinal tract

Nanoparticles show great promise as diagnostic tools and drug delivery agents. The tiny particles, which scientists can modify with drugs, dyes or targeting molecules, can travel in the circulation and squeeze through small spaces into cells and tissues. But until now, most nanoparticles had to be injected into the bloodstream because they weren’t absorbed well orally. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Nano have modified nanoparticles to improve their uptake in the gastrointestinal tract.